Subject Overview

A professional study of international business and cross-border trade, integrating economic foundations, global environments, market entry, export–import operations, logistics, finance, regulation, risk, technology, sustainability and managerial decision-making.

Learning Goal

Students will be able to evaluate international markets, formulate entry and trade strategies, manage compliant export–import transactions, coordinate finance and logistics, analyse risks and data, and respond ethically to digital and geopolitical change.

Syllabus

1. Foundations of International Business and Trade

Learning Objective: Explain globalization, internationalization, trade terminology, types of international transactions, key stakeholders, and differences between domestic and international business.

Category: foundation

2. International Trade Theories and Policy

Learning Objective: Apply absolute and comparative advantage, factor endowment, product life-cycle, new trade and competitive advantage theories; assess tariffs, quotas, subsidies, protectionism and trade creation or diversion.

Category: foundation

3. Global Business Environment and Country Analysis

Learning Objective: Evaluate political, economic, legal, technological, sociocultural and environmental conditions using PESTLE, CAGE, institutional analysis, country indicators and geopolitical assessment.

Category: core

4. Global Trade Institutions and Regional Integration

Learning Objective: Explain the roles of the WTO, UNCTAD, IMF, World Bank, WCO and development banks; assess free-trade areas, customs unions, common markets, economic unions and major regional blocs.

Category: core

5. International Market Research and Opportunity Assessment

Learning Objective: Use primary and secondary research, trade databases, demand estimation, competitor analysis, market screening, segmentation and scoring models to select attractive export markets.

Category: application

6. Internationalization and Foreign Market Entry

Learning Objective: Compare indirect and direct exporting, licensing, franchising, contract manufacturing, alliances, joint ventures, acquisitions and wholly owned subsidiaries using cost, control, risk and resource criteria.

Category: core

7. International Marketing and Cross-Cultural Management

Learning Objective: Adapt products, brands, pricing, promotion and distribution across markets; apply cultural frameworks, communication practices, negotiation methods and relationship management.

Category: application

8. Export–Import Procedures and Trade Documentation

Learning Objective: Manage the end-to-end trade cycle, including enquiry, quotation, purchase order, contracts, customs declarations, certificates of origin, commercial invoices, packing lists, transport documents and record retention.

Category: core

9. Incoterms, Contracts and International Commercial Law

Learning Objective: Apply current Incoterms rules, determine cost and risk transfer, draft essential contract terms, and address agency, distribution, intellectual property, applicable law, dispute resolution and arbitration.

Category: core

10. Customs, Classification and Trade Compliance

Learning Objective: Apply HS classification, customs valuation, origin rules, duties, preferential tariffs, licensing, sanctions, embargoes, export controls, anti-dumping requirements and compliance programmes.

Category: core

11. Global Supply Chains, Logistics and Insurance

Learning Objective: Design international transport and distribution decisions across sea, air, road, rail and multimodal systems; manage freight, warehousing, inventory, insurance, resilience and sustainable logistics.

Category: application

12. International Trade Finance, Payments and Foreign Exchange

Learning Objective: Compare advance payment, open account, documentary collection, letters of credit, guarantees, factoring and export credit; interpret UCP practices and manage exchange-rate exposure through hedging.

Category: core

13. International Strategy, Risk and Performance Analytics

Learning Objective: Formulate international competitive strategy using value-chain, resource-based, integration–responsiveness and portfolio frameworks; quantify political, commercial, financial and supply-chain risks and monitor KPIs.

Category: strategic

14. Digital Trade, E-Commerce, Data and Artificial Intelligence

Learning Objective: Assess cross-border e-commerce, digital platforms, paperless trade, electronic documentation, blockchain, trade-management systems and AI applications in forecasting, classification, screening, pricing and fraud detection, including cybersecurity and data-governance risks.

Category: contemporary

15. Ethics, Sustainability and the Future of Global Trade

Learning Objective: Apply responsible business, anti-bribery, human-rights due diligence, ESG, circular economy and carbon-border principles; evaluate deglobalization, friend-shoring, geopolitical fragmentation, climate change and future trade models.

Category: contemporary